The Dawson journal., 1887-02-03
a FLORIDA STORY.
Americas Republican.

Americas Republican.
Monday we met aN old time
friend whom we had known before
the war, Jack Lonnard by name,
who tod us that for ten years or
more he had been growing oran-
ges in the lower part. of Brevard
county. He told us the following
story of a girl AID her pet:
A family named Belden lived a
qua,te of a mile from me. They
had only one daughter, pretty
girl OF ID, that had as ugly a pet
as was ever known. 1t was great
big rattlesnake that would come
and go at her bidding and nestle
for hours in her lap. Tho mon
ster was fond of the girl and
would suffer her to strike and roll
it about as she pleased. Que day
last fall the girl was playing in
some bushes about a hundred
yards from the house, with the
snake in her la. A huge, black ne
gro man saw the child, and think
ing she was unprotected, his evil
desires were kindled AMI he Slip
! ped upon aer, seized Ter in his
arms and was bearing her Of in
to thewoods, with his horny hand
pressed over her mouth to stife
her cries. Tie snake crawled from
the folds Of the dress, crept around
the brute's arm and struck him on
the neck, Kissing in rage at the
time. He stuck his fangs in deep,
two or three times, ere the ne
/ gro was aware of what it was.
He t! en- dropped the girl and
Selling the huge reptile in his
hand, tore it off and killed it
against the tree. The girl as
soon as released, ran scream
in toward her home. The snake
vas killed, but the negro went
but few yards before being over
come by the poison, and fell to
the ground, where he was soon
found. The snake had avenged
his insult to his playmate and the
negro died in the greatest ago
ny.
Mr.. Belden told me that the
snake had beea playing with his
little girl ten years, had never
hurt her, and he was sorry that it
was killed. The little girl was
for long time inconsolable, but
is now reconciled to the loss of
her pet, and believes it was only
given to her to save her from tha
horrible fate.
Jack left for his old home IL
Tennessee, where he will stay Ger
q few months and then retur4 to
his grove.
THE Rome Bulletin very correctly
says: ga newspaper generally is a
picture of the place in which it is
published. 1t is received by
the outside world as the photo
graph Of the place. People that
say that "it will do no good
should remember this: every bus
mess, no matter if large or small,
should be represented in the home
paper. 1t is a homo institution
and should honestly receive all
due it, for the road OF the newspa-
per man is a tough one at best"
The Moatezuma Record man
was inspired by the eternal fitness
of things when he printed the fol-
loving: Occasionally some fell
low will get nettled because a
newspaper man duns him for
money. The way to avoid being
dunned is to pay up. Ii is not an
impeachment, but clear unmis-
takeable sign that editors, like
other people, have necessities"
In view of the fact that Justic
Woods, of the United States Su-
preme Court, is lying critically i'll,
with but little hope of recovery,
Hon. n. j. Hammond has been
suggested as his successor. Mr..
Hammond ranks among the fore
most jarists in the South, and is
in every way qualified to adorn
the country's highest tribunal.
A BILL has passed the Senate
and been faVorabiy received by
tho House 10 inaq garate tke next
President Of the Ulitsd States on